Note-striking mechanism for musical instruments.



No. 759,532. PATENTED MAY v10, 1904.

E. H. KLABER. NOTE STRIKING MECHANISM FOR- MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15. 1901. no menu.

4 SHEETS-BEBE? 1.

PATENTED MAY 10, 1904.

, .E. KLABER. NOTE STRIKING MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 15. 1901.

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N0 MODEL.

m LN i PATENTED MAY 10, 1904.

. B H BER NOTE STRIKING MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1901.

In Ila Jar No. 759,532. PATBNTED MAY 10,1904.

B. H. KLABER.

NOTE STRIKING MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION m'Lnn nbv'. 15, 1901. 7

N0 MODEL. 4 S BETH-SHEET 4 PEYCRS 50., woraumo WASHINGTON n c UNITED STATES Patented May 10, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

NOTE-STRIKING MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,532, dated May 10, 1904.

Application filed, November 15, 1901. Serial No. 82,438. (No model.) i

To a. whom it may concern.-

special reference to mechanically-operated.

pianos, although its application is not restricted thereto.

The object of the invention is the construction of a mechanism by means of which the force of the blow struck upon the strings or other sound-producing parts can be varied Without altering'the force primarily applied to the instrument.

In mechanism according to this invention a spring or equivalent device is interposed at any convenient point in the action and either the springitself or a part ofthe mechanism cooperating with it is arranged so that more or less of the spring may be used in transmitting the blow to the string or other noteproducing part. Thus more or less of the initial power is taken up by the spring and a soft or loud tone produced.

When this invention is applied to a mechanically-operated piano, the springs are conveniently placedat the rear ends of the keylevers, and the striking-rods, which in instruments of this type usually operate directly upon these levers, are arranged so that they may be brought into contact with any desired portion of the spring.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan showing portions of the keyboard of a mechanically-operated piano provided With one construction of note-striking mechanism according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing details of a portion of the mechanism, and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan illustrating the operation of parts of the mechanism.

Like letters indicate likeparts throughout the drawings.

A is the framework or base of the keyboard, having key-levers B mounted upon it. These key-levers are attached, as by the pins B, to mechanism operating the hammers; but this mechanism, together with the keyboard generally, may be of the construction usually found in pianos, and is therefore not particularly described. At the rear end of each keylever B is astrip B of springy material-say spring-steelfurnished with a pad B of felt or other convenient substance uponits under surface. Beneath each spring B is a striking-rod C, which is operatedby the'driving mechanismfor example, a rotating drum or a bellowswhen the particular note it controls is selected by the music-sheet. The apparatus for thus operating the striking-rods C is not described or illustrated, as it forms no part of the present invention.

Each striking-rod 0 passes through a hole D in a guide-bar D, which can be moved so as to alter the position of the striking-rods C relatively to the springs B At each end of the guide-bar there is a slotted plate D and a pin or screw D passes freely through the slot and enters a portion of the frame A beneath it. Near each end of the guide-bar is another slotted plate D and the slots in these plates D en-' gage with pins E on cranks E, mounted upon spindles E, turning freely in bearingplates E attached to the frame A. The lower ends of these spindles E are provided with cranks E, joined by connecting-rods E to pivoted levers E and E respectively, and the ends of these levers project slightly in front of the keyboard.

Normally the levers E and E are in the position shown in Fig. 1, so that the strikingrods operate upon the springs B near their point of insertion in the key-levers B, and the blow struck upon the springs when the mechanism is in this position is comparatively a heavy one, the tone being consequently loud.

By moving both levers E and E to the right the guide-bar D, through the action of the cranks E and E, is moved into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and it will be seen that the new position is parallel to the old one, the striking-rods E now bearing on the ends of the springs B The portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3 is in this position, and although the same force is primarily given to the striking-rod C some of it is now absorbed by the spring B and consequently a lighter blow is struck and a softer tone produced.

If only one of the levers E E is operated, the guide-bar D will be moved obliquely. This is shown in the diagram forming Fig. 4, where the lever E has been moved to the right and the left-hand end of the guide-bar shifted backward, the other end remaining in its normal position. The effect of this movement is to bring the striking-rods G at the left-hand end of the instrument into such a position that they operate upon the ends of the springs B Those in the middle of the keyboard are approximately central relatively to the springs B While those at the right-hand end are close to the root of the springs. Consequently the bass notes are struck softly and the treble ones loudly, the gradation being brought about gradually all through the compass of the instrument.

Obviously if the lever E be moved to the right while the lever E stays in its normal position to the left the guide-bar D will be moved into an oblique position opposite to that just described, the treble notes in this case being soft and the bass notes loud. Again, any desired intermediate position may be obtained by moving either or both of the levers through parts of their range. Although it is convenient to have one guide-bar extending over practically the whole compass of the in strument, yet, if desired, several bars may be provided. For example, the guide-bar D might be divided into sections, and each section could be controlled by one or more levers independently of the others.

The application of the invention is not limited to mechanically-operated musical instruments, but may be used, say, for producing the soft-pedal effect in a piano played by hand. I

The invention is of particular use when applied to a grand piano, as it obviates the shifting and consequent wear of the parts commonly entailed by the use of the soft-pedal in such instruments.

It will be seen that in instruments provided with mechanism according to this invention all the parts used for producing the variation of tone are similar throughout the range of the instrument, no special mechanism being provided, say, for the bass notes, which differs from that controlling the other notes.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*

In a musical instrument, the combination of a note-striking mechanism having a series of key-levers; springs mounted on said levers through the medium of which they may be independently actuated; a series of strikers arranged to act on the springs and actuate the respective key-levers through the medium thereof; a movable guide-bar through which the strikers slide and by which their position is controlled, and means for shifting the guide-bar in either parallel or oblique position at the will of the operator, so as to change the effective strength of the springs equally throughout the series or unequally in different parts, as desired.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two su bscribing witnesses.

EMILE HERZ KLABER.

Witnesses:

HARRY PHILLIPS, WVALTER E. Boone. 

